Can MRI scans spare rectal cancer patients from unnecessary surgery?
NCT ID NCT07404228
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Sep 15, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study aims to develop a method using advanced MRI scans to predict whether rectal cancer has been completely eliminated after chemoradiation. About 115 patients will be enrolled to test the accuracy of this MRI-based prediction. If it works, some patients might safely avoid major surgery and its long-term side effects, opting instead for a 'watch-and-wait' approach.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help doctors accurately identify patients whose rectal cancer has completely disappeared after chemoradiation, allowing them to safely avoid surgery and its side effects.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study to develop a prediction method, not a treatment trial. The model may not be accurate enough to replace current approaches, and results may not apply to all patients.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 115 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Oct 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Nov 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Preclinical phase: For patients requiring surgery after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, a surgical consultation will be scheduled as part of routine care. The study will be explained, and an information sheet provided. Participation requires signing the informed consent by the patient and the investigating surgeon. Clinical phase: When a patient requires an MRI as part of their standard care, the study will be presented during the radiology consultation with an information sheet. If the patient agrees to participate, the informed consent form must be signed by the patient and the investigating physician. Patients may be included in the study at two possible times: during the MRI performed before neoadjuvant treatment (MRI staging), or during the re-evaluation MRI after neoadjuvant treatment (MRI restaging).
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria for the preclinical phase : * Age ≥18 years old; * Have a confirmed diagnosis of locally advanced rectal cancer; * Have completed neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy; * Be a candidate for surgical treatment with total mesorectal excision; * Be willing and able to provide written informed consent; * Affiliation to the French Social Security System. Inclusion criteria for the clinical phase: * Age ≥18 years old; * Have a confirmed diagnosis of locally advanced rectal cancer; * Require neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy or have completed neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy; * Requires either surgical treatment or a non-surgical strategy ("Watch-and-Wait") after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy; * Be willing and able to provide written informed consent; * Affiliation to the French Social Security System.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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ICM
Montpellier, Herault, 34298, France
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